Iniesta: Award belongs to Barca family

Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta said his team mates and supporters paved the way for him to win the UEFA Best European player award.

Handed the prize before Barcelona’s clash with Valencia on Sunday night, Iniesta made the symbolic gesture of handing his award to the Camp Nou crowd.

And speaking after Barcelona recorded a somewhat fortuitous 1-0 victory, the humble star explained what the prize meant to him and everyone at the club

“It is another moment to remember. The fans have seen me grow here for a long time and I have a very special affection for them,” he told reporters.

“But it is now in the past. We have to continue in this fashion. The most important thing is to be there for this type of prize. It is a prize for all the players who have always been there.”

Turning to Sunday’s triumph, Iniesta lamented the chances missed by his team and urged them to be more ruthless in front of goal as the struggling Valencia gave unbeaten Barca a real scare.

“We could have won more comfortably, above all in the first half,” Iniesta declared.

“We are pleased because we still have the advantage. When you have the chances you have to take them because if not, you will suffer.”

Iniesta beat Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo and team-mate Lionel Messi to the title, the two tied in joint second.